BuildingEnergy NYC 2023 Request for Proposals

Conference Theme: Deconstructing Decarbonization

Update: The RFP is closed and conference sessions have been selected.
 
Timeline
Call for Proposals: April 10 – May 7
Review Period: May 8 – June 15
Notification of Decisions: Mid June

After decades of incremental change, hard work, and some setbacks along the way, we now have the tools, expertise, and capital available to drastically reduce building-related carbon emissions and make a lasting impact in our communities. With new, landmark policy and climate funding initiatives under development, systemic change from the private sector to all levels of government feels more within reach than ever before. Everyone in our field, whether we work in finance, design, construction, or operations, has a role to play. The monumental task to accelerate emissions reduction strategies has inspired this year’s BuildingEnergy NYC conference theme: Deconstructing Decarbonization.

We are seeking proposals for conference sessions that break down the decarbonization process from beginning to end, including policy, design, financing, inclusive workforce development, construction, and paths to reaching deeper change at scale. Strategies for decarbonization must not only combat the climate crisis, but must also benefit the people who live in, work out of, and maintain our buildings. In addition to sessions that generally relate to this theme, we are specifically interested in proposals that address:

  • Decarbonization, electrification, and repurposing of existing building stock
  • Solutions grounded in real-life data and case studies
  • Collaboration and integration of finance, design, and stakeholder engagement
  • Embodied carbon reduction in buildings and infrastructure
  • Equitable electrification, considering both grid transition and end user benefits
  • Scaling and training the next generation workforce
     

About the Review Process

BuildingEnergy NYC will take place on October 12, 2023. The deadline to submit your conference session proposal is Sunday, May 7. Please use this planning sheet to prepare your proposal before submitting.
 
Proposals will be reviewed and vetted by a volunteer committee of NESEA members to ensure that conference sessions are data-driven, diverse, and genuinely useful to attendees. Successful proposals:
  • Feature sustainable and high-performance building practices, solutions, or governance.
  • Present innovative material and ideas.
  • Have rich data to support claims.
  • Avoid focusing on specific, proprietary products or services.
  • Describe learning from mistakes as well as from successes.
  • Are designed to actively engage attendees in dialogue.
  • Include diverse speakers and panelists.
  • Are comprehensive and complete upon submission.
 
You must log in or create an account at nesea.org to create a proposal (membership is not required). This allows you to save your proposal as a draft and come back to work on it as often as you like before submitting. NESEA does not provide compensation or reimburse expenses for speakers.
 
Questions? Speaker suggestions? Want to talk over a proposal idea before submitting? Contact Ben Sachs-Hamilton, Conference Director, at bsachs-hamilton@nesea.org.